For many of us, regardless of age, being a magical girl would be a dream come true. But not for Aika! Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want to Be a Magical Girl is an 11-minute animatic pilot that’s been making waves. And for good reason! While many viewers are focused on the reluctant heroine, there’s so much more that makes this project an all-around hit. Join us as we dive into this project!
The Concept
Aika is, as she tells us at the beginning of Pretty Pretty Please, a totally normal 15-year-old. She has average abilities and no secrets. She even makes friends with loner Zira during lunch, setting a totally normal high school life into motion. At least, that’s what she hopes for. Sadly, the other side of her life follows her around: the life of a magical girl. And, Zira’s manga daydreams aside, Aika doesn’t want to be the chosen heroine of love and justice.
In the short sample, we see Star Guardian (Aika’s magical girl form) beat down her foe Eclipse with a metal pipe. Effective, but not what Zira imagined. But it does get her back to her normal school day. As the short closes, we see Eclipse reporting back to his boss. And it looks like, whatever Aika may want, her foes will keep coming after her.
Star Power
Pretty Pretty Please doesn’t skimp on their cast, featuring names that will be familiar to anime dub fans—especially magical girl fans! Our heroine Aika is voiced by Anairis Quiñones, whose many roles include Mirko in My Hero Academia and Multi in Beyblade X. Guiding Aika against her will is Christine Marie Cabanos as Hoshi, a cute but put-upon mascot. Cabanos has plenty of magical girl experience, having played both Madoka Kaname in Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Sailor Saturn in the new cast of Sailor Moon.
Speaking of Sailor Moon, Zira’s voice actress Bennett Abara has notably played Sailor Jupiter (making Zira’s Moon Sailor fandom a reference on multiple layers). And, of course, Aleks Le is on board as the evil Eclipse. He’s currently everywhere, playing roles including Shen in Undead Unluck and Jiji in Dan Da Dan. All in all, a star-studded cast, and one that brings life and humor to an already strong script.
Behind the Scenes
Kiana Khansmith created, wrote, directed, and storyboarded Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want to Be a Magical Girl. According to the video’s description, the project started as a portfolio piece but “turned into something much more.” While there’s only one fully animated scene, the animatic is so full of life and so adorably drawn that you feel immediately drawn in. If you’re curious about the production process—which includes a whole raft of talented people—check out Khansmith’s Tumblr!
It’s not just the subversion of tropes that makes this project great, although seeing a magical girl joyfully de-transform is truly a moment for the ages. The writing and acting are solid, the cast is believable, and nowhere does it feel like the magical girl genre is getting torn down. Nudged gently? Absolutely. As Aika rightly implies repeatedly, teenagers should be enjoying their youth, not shouldering the fate of the world. But Zira speaks for all of us with her excitement and boundless enthusiasm.
You can watch Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want to Be a Magical Girl on YouTube. We can’t wait to see where this project goes—not to mention what else the creator does!